World Conference Against Racism

 

SRI LANKA

 

Facts to the United Nations

World Conference Against Racism

 

 

Information à Nations Unies

Conference Mondiale Contre le Racisme

 

 

Informativos a Naciones Unidas

Conferencia Mundial Contra el Racismo

 

 

31 August 2001 ­ 07 September 2001

 

 

 

Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR

 

Contents

                                                                                                                                                Page

TCHR appeal to the Secretary General of                                                              02

World Conference Against Racism

                        A few noteworthy human rights violations by Sri Lanka                          03

                        Facts and figures of 18 years war against the Tamil people                                 05

                        Population 1901 - 1981                                                                                               

Do you know?                                                                                                  06

Comparison :    Palestinians - Kosovans - Tamils                                               07

                        Recent massacres and major killings of Tamils by Sri Lankan security forces                  08

 

ETHNIC CLEANSING - COLONISATION                                                                      

                        Tamil and Sinhala populations in the Eastern provinces                           09

                                    "                       "             Amparai district                                                         

                                    "                       "           Batticaloa district                                             10

                                    "                       "           Trincomalee district                                         

                                    "                       "           Vavuniya district                                                         

                                    "                       "           Mannar district                                                11

                        Population in Tamil hereditary regions - 1981                                                   

                        Tamil refugees around the World                                                                                  

 

GLOBALISATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM

                        Education                                                                                                        12

Minimum marks for University admission in Sri Lanka - 1971                           

                        Standardisation                                                                                     13

                        University Admission    1969-1980                                                                  

                       

                        Employment                                                                                                   14

                        Since 1956 - Decrease in the Tamil ratio in the government service                               

Main employment in semi-government - 1981                                                              

                        Executive positions in the State administration and Engineering field                               

                       

DISCRIMINATION IN RELIGION

                        Population based on religion in 1946 in Ceylon                                      15

                        More than 2000 Hindu Temples destroyed in Tamil hereditary regions

Cost of damage to Hindu Temples  (Government figures)

                        Act of discrimination on Hindu, Muslim public holidays

                        Mahavamsa sanctions killings of Tamils                                                 16

                        Historical Hindu temples ruined                                                                        

                        Massacres in the Christian churches                                                                                         

 

INSTITUTIONAL RACISM

                        Increase of defence forces doubled since 1994                                      17

                        99% Sinhalese in Army and Police - UN Special rapporteur                                         

                        Military expenditure for military operations

                        Military expenditure for year the 2000                                                   18

                        World Bank to pay for those weapons in Sri Lanka

                        Number of deaths range from 78,000-100,000                                    

                        Tamil political detainees killed in prisons

 

GENDER AND RACE

                        Sri Lankan government security forces persecute Tamils throughout the island                19

                        22 years of PTA

                        Year 2000 - over 18,000 arrested under PTA-ER                                            20       

                        Torture

            Rape as a weapon of war                                                                                            

 

SELF-DETERMINATION

                        A Declaration made by the representatives of  the Jaffna University                    21

 

* * * * *

                                           

31 August 2001

 

Mary Robinson

Secretary General

UN World Conference Against Racism

Durban

South Africa

 

Dear Madam,

 

At the very outset, we the Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR, would like to warmly congratulate you on your great task as Secretary General of the World Conference Against Racism 2001.

 

Everyone is aware that you and your staff are working day and night to make this conference a successful one at the start of this millennium, as there are so many instances of  discriminations around the world. Various types of discrimination have paved paths for Civil war, Ethnic Conflict, Armed conflict, etc. Many of these conflicts have as their ultimate goal, the winning of Right to self-determination as the only durable solution to the political problems at the root of discrimination and xenophobia in today's world.

 

Madam, we do not have to tell you in detail what have been happening in Sri Lanka for the last few decades! The systematic discrimination by Sinhala political leaders against the people who live in their traditional homeland in the North-East has forced tremendous hardship upon them in many forms.

 

As a result of the failure to find a solution by non violent struggle and parliamentary ballot, the Tamils youth found that armed struggle was the only means to gain their fundamental rights and their right to self-determination.

 

After a long struggle, today Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka have a de-facto government in two thirds of their hereditary lands ­ the North East of the island. The administration of this de-facto government is lead by the Liberation Tigers of Tamils Eelam - LTTE.

 

The present de-facto government of Tamil Eelam has all the characteristics of other states. It has defined boundaries and has the support of the people. It has a judicial system, police force, banks, etc.  In fact, the Tamils of the North East of the island voted overwhelmingly in the 1977 parliamentary election for the same. The Sinhala leaders suppressed this ballot, shortly afterwards, by a constitutional amendment (known as the  “Sixth amendment”) in parliament.

 

Madam, herewith we append various facts on Colonisation, Employment, Education, Religious activities, Military activities, Genocide, etc for participants of this Conference to see how a Nation has been discriminated against during the last 55 years!

 

Madam, even the Norwegian mediation between the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE has come to a stalemate because the government has demanded the Norwegian government to change the main mediator, Mr. Solheim. He was shuttling between the government and LTTE for nearly two years in search of peace. The government has accused Mr. Solheim of giving too much consolation to the Tamils!

 

Now it is time for the International community to realise that the present government cannot deliver a lasting solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. It is time for the international community to exert intense pressure on  the Sri Lankan government to stop the bloody war and start negotiations with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - LTTE in order to find a negotiated durable solution in the Island of Sri Lanka.

 

Thanking you,

 

Yours truly,

 

S. V. Kirubaharan

General Secretary - TCHR

 

 

A few noteworthy  Human Rights violations by Sri Lanka 

Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR/CTDH                                Email : tchrgs@hotmail.com /  tchrdip@hotmail.com

 

1948   The Citizenship Act disenfranchising Indian Tamil Plantation workers was passed in Parliament. One million 3rd generation plantation workers were living in the island for over 115 years. They were brought to the island by the British from South India to work in Tea and Rubber plantations in the hill country. 1,000,000 plantation Tamils were victimised.

 

1956   The "Sinhala Only" Act was passed in the Sri Lankan Parliament. This Act made "Sinhala" as a compulsory language for Tamils. Tamils staged peaceful protests in Colombo and Gal Oya. 150 Tamils were burnt or hacked to death; 20 women were raped; 3000 were rendered refugees and their properties were looted by the Sinhala mobs.

 

1958   Anti Tamil riots in Sinhala areas. Massacre of Tamils, looting of their properties, setting fire to their houses and even burning Tamils alive! 25,000 Tamils were rendered refugees; 500 Tamils were burnt or hacked to death; 200 Women were raped and Tamil properties were looted or destroyed by Sinhala mobs.

 

1961   Tamil non-violent (Satyagraha) civil disobedience campaign in the North-East was disrupted by the Sri Lankan security forces, protesters were beaten and arrested.

 

1964    The pact (Srima-Shastri) to evacuate Tamil plantation workers of Indian origin was signed. They were living in the Island for over 115 years. 650,000 Plantation Tamils became stateless persons.

 

1972   Equal education opportunities to Tamil students were denied. Standardisation on University admission  was introduced.

 

1974   The Fourth International Tamil research Conference held on 10/01/1974 in Jaffna was disrupted by the Sri Lanka Police. 9 Tamils were brutally killed.

 

1979   On the 11th of July 1979,  Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) was introduced in Sri Lanka. This Act gives free hand to the Security forces to arrest, detain, torture, rape, kill and dispose of victims bodies with impunity. Arrested people could be detained for eighteen months without being produced in courts. (July)

 

1981      On May 31, the Jaffna Public Library containing 95,000 volumes was completely destroyed in a fire set by a group of Police officers who went on a rampage in the Jaffna city. 95,000 volumes of irrecoverable - invaluable books were burnt.

 

July-August attacks on Tamil civilians. Incidents of violence centred on three specific areas: the gem mining area of Ratnapura, Negombo near the capital city of Colombo, and the plantation towns in central Sri Lanka. At least 15 plantation Tamils had been killed, numerous Tamil shops and businesses burned, and more than 5000 plantation Tamils had fled to refugee camps.

 

1983   May 18, more than 200 houses burnt down in Jaffna by the Sri Lankan security forces. Two  killed and many wounded  in Thirneveley.

 

The Government masterminded anti-Tamil riots in July 1983. More than 6,000 Tamils were killed by the Sinhalese in the South. Tamil houses and businesses were looted and destroyed. Tamils living in the South were sent by ships to the North and East by the government. 250,000 Tamils were made refugees; 2,500 Tamils were burnt or hacked to death; 500 women were raped; 53 Tamils political prisoners were brutally murdered in the Welikada prison on 25-27 July where maximum security prevailed.

 

 

1984   Tamils living in the North-East were arrested tortured and killed. Women were raped, many disappeared. Tamil properties were looted or destroyed by the Sri Lankan security forces. Air Force bombers dropped napalm bombs in residential areas causing severe loss and damage to Tamil people and their property. All these continue.

 

The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the Emergency Regulations (ER) adopted by the government help the security forces to commit all sorts of human rights violations with impunity.

 

1990      Sri Lanka uses food and medicine as weapons of war against the Tamil people. Economic embargo in Tamil areas. Food, medicine, electricity and other important items are denied to the Tamils. It continues.

 

1995      October 30, 1995 Mass Exodus from Jaffna: Nearly 200 Killed in Jaffna peninsula  as a result of military operations. October 30, 1995 Historic exodus and military occupation of Jaffna. The night of Monday October 30 , l995 was a black night in the entire history of the age‑old city of Jaffna. Never has history witnessed such an exodus of fear and panic stricken people screaming and squeezing themselves out of the narrow roads and lanes of Jaffna. The nearly half a million population in and around the town was literally on the roads in pouring rain inching its way out of the densely populated town into the sparsely populated and ill ‑equipped suburban villages of Chavakachcheri, Kodikamam and Palai. It was for everyone a flight for survival that day.

 

1996      September 07, 1996 Krishanthy Kumaraswamy. A student and 3 others raped and killed in Jaffna.  Krishanthy Kumaraswamy (18) who was returning home after sitting the GCE (A/L) examination at Chundikuli Girls High School was last seen at 11.30am at Kaithaddy checkpoint in Jaffna. She never made it home. Her mother, brother (Pranavan ‑ 16) and family friend (Mr Kirupakaran ‑ 35) who became concerned went in search of Krishanthy. They too disappeared. The discovery of the four bodies led eventually to the revelation of the existence of Chemmani mass graves.

 

650 people disappeared in Jaffna - several mass-graves were discovered in many parts of North-East including Chemmani. Some government soldiers confession in the Jaffna Magistrate Court revealed the fact that they buried hundreds of bodies.

 

1997      September 25, 38 NGOs serving in several parts of Batticaloa district were ordered by the Government of Sri Lanka to cease all humanitarian operations. This immediately followed a government order banning NGOs from assisting people in the areas of Batticaloa.

 

2000   January 2000 HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER MR G G PONNAMBALAM, WAS ASSASSINATED. Mr G.G. Ponnambalam Jn. (known to everyone as Kumar Ponnambalam) was involved in human rights for many years. He was a leading lawyer in Colombo. Gunmen assassinated him in Wellawatta in Colombo.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Ethnic and religious groups

(Government statistics)

 

Ethnic                                                                        Religion

Sinhalese                   74%,                                       Buddhist         69%,

Tamil                           18%,                                       Hindu              15%,

Moor                           7%,                                         Christian         8%,

Burgher, Malay, Vedda        1%                                          Islam               8%

 

 

FACTS AND FIGURES OF 18 YEAR WAR

AGAINST THE TAMIL PEOPLE

 

Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR/CTDH                                Email : tchrgs@hotmail.com / tchrdip@hotmail.com

 

70,000      Tamils have been killed in the North-East of the Island. This number is three percent (3%) of the total Tamil population of the Island. In other words, an average of nine (9) Tamils have  been  killed every day; or for every 50 Tamils living one has been killed.

 

460,000    Tamils have sought refugee status in Europe and other countries. This is 16% of the Tamil population

 

1,000,000      Tamils are displaced within the North-East of the Island. This is 40% of the Tamil population.

 

250,000    Tamil children's education affected due to either the destruction of school buildings through aerial bombings or conversion of school buildings into military camps.

 

60,000      Families have lost their bread winners. More than 40,000 women are forced to be widows.

 

300,000    Tamil houses destroyed in the North-East. Nearly 900,000 to 1,000,000 people are without  shelter and most of them live in shrub jungles or under trees.

 

2000                   Buildings of religious places, such as Churches and Temples have been destroyed in aerial   bombings.

 

9                                 State sponsored anti-Tamil pogroms with greatest venom and intensity in 1956, 1958, 1961, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1982 and 1983. Also there were many other smaller scale pogroms.

 

(TCHR - Information accumulated from local news papers,

religious heads, NGOs and other reliable sources )

 

 

Population  1901-1981

(Table is shown on Community basis)